HAWERA.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 293, 6 February 1878, Page 2

HAWERA.

(from our ow.v cobkespoxdkxt.V A splendid spell of fine weather has at last set in, which the fanners have taken advantage of to gather in their crops. The crops appear generally to be very good. Reaping machines are all the go, and their noisy hr t, can be heard in every direction. Willful hands find ready employment, and pe. and plenty give an appearance of cheerful contentment throughout the district. Baker’s Hiberhicon drew one of the largest houses yet seen in Hawcra. thus showing that those, who hail front the Emeral Isle, have lost none of the inborn love for their own little island. The Maoris had a hit of a scrimmage amongst themselves in town on Saturday,; which resulted in Mr King getting one of the large front glasses of his shop broken. The police, however, soon restored everything to its usual quietness, the convenient lock-up appearing to act as a charm 5u subduing the wild nature of the unruly savage. The fruit season has fairly set in, and a raid has commenced on glass bottles, the feminine portion of the inhabitants being busily engaged in jam making. A few years ago, a person could go out and fill his cart at almost any peach grove lie chose to,' but now if you should chance to intrude on Maori land, your horse is seized anddetained,until a sufficient amount has been handed over, to satisfy the cupidity of our dusky bretheren ;■ and their example, [am'sorry to' say, has been followed by many of the white portion of the settlers, who will inform you, if you should attempt to remove' a'few, of what if left, would only rot or become food for wild pigs, that it is thenintention for the future to make something out of their peaches. The result of this' dog-in-the-manger disposition is, that peaches arc now being sold in the town for 2d the pound, whilst tons will be allowed to rot, that the owners can never use,- and intend that no one else shall get the benefit of. A natural weakness for jam, that I inherited from my infancy, and a desire to’ lay in a good stuck for the coming winter, on the cheap, has prompted me to write the' above in the hope of touching the hard heart of the settler, who has put sucii a settler on the prospect of a fulfilment ui; my desiics. The Institute in combination' with the' Public Library is meeting with great support,- and I hope ere long, to bo able to chronicle the commencement of the building-